ANNIVERSARIES ENDING IN A NINE We take a look at some of the other important, amazing and tragic anniversaries occurring this year By First Officer Katy Lee, Log Board member n a recent meeting, it was noted that a disproportionate number of notable aviation milestones occur in years ending in a nine. It may be said that the glory days of aviation are behind us, and that marginal gains are the name of the game these days and, indeed, early aviators had a lot more ahead of them that had never been done before. Plenty of memorable moments occurred later in aviation history, however especially, it seems, in 1969, with the first flights of Concorde and the 747. Elsewhere in this issue, there is an article looking at the centenary of the first transatlantic flight by John Alcock and Arthur Brown, and another on the first lunar landing but what else has an anniversary this year? We take a look 1909 1919 1929 Channel hop No1, 1st, oldest Channel hop 1959 1949 Louis Blriot becomes the first person to cross the Channel by aeroplane, flying his Type XI monoplane from Les Baraques to Dover in 36 minutes. Space-age Launch of the Russian spacecraft Luna I, which becomes the first to reach the vicinity of the moon. Royal Navy Officer Eric Winkle Brown who flew more aircraft types than anyone in history and was the most decorated naval pilot is born in Leith, Edinburgh. Brits John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown make the first non-stop transatlantic flight (for more, see page 10). KLM is formed, gaining the prefix Royal in 1919. It is the oldest airline still operating under its original name. New frontiers 1939 World events USAF Boeing B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II is the first aircraft to circumnavigate the globe non-stop, completing the feat in 94 hours and one minute. Flying at between 10,000ft and 20,000ft, it refuelled in flight four times. End of the Berlin Airlift after 11 months of the Soviet Blockade. 1969 Louis Blriot becomes the first person to cross the Channel by aeroplane, flying his Type XI monoplane from Les Baraques to Dover in 36 minutes. Jetting off The Yankee Clipper a Boeing 314 flying boat (above), operated by Pan American Airlines makes the first transatlantic passenger flight from Baltimore to Lisbon in just less than 25 hours. Luftwaffe Captain Erich Walsitz undertakes the first jet flight in a Heinkel He 178. 1989 1979 Test flight of the Boeing 747 in Everett, Washington. First Concorde flight in Toulouse. This is followed, a few months later, by the first UK Concorde flight, piloted by Brian Trubshaw. Shortly afterwards, it breaks the sound barrier for the first time. Apollo 11 lands on themoon In a spin Death of Sir Barnes Wallis, inventor of thebouncing bomb used in Operation Chastise, the breaching of the Mhne and Edersee dams. First flight of the AS355 Twin Squirrel helicopter. Tragic lessons British Midland Flight 92, known as the Kegworth disaster, occurs when a 737-400 crashes just short of the runway at East Midlands because of engine failure and the flight crew shutting down the wrong engine. The incident contributes to the development of CRM as we now know it. United Airlines Flight 232, a DC-10, suffers catastrophic engine failure affecting flight controls because of its location in the tail and proximity to control surfaces and crashes at Sioux City, Iowa. 2009 1999 Vale, Victor All together Colgan Air Flight 3408, a Bombardier Dash-8, stalls on approach to Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board, plus one on the ground. Speculation after the crash centred on the effect of fatigue on shorthaul crew. A Bond Offshore Helicopters AS332L2 crashes in the North Sea because of mechanical failure, killing all 16 on board. Scotlands largest airline, Flyglobespan, goes bust. Death of the last founder member of the RAF, Henry Allingham. Handley Page Victor XM715 briefly becomes airborne at the Bruntingthorpe airshow during its last flight. The Oneworld alliance is formed, consisting originally of British Airways, American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. Since its inauguration, the alliance has grown to 13 members plus 30 affiliates.